Profile on... Russell Waite, Head of Investments
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Q: Tell us a little about your background
A: In the early days of my career I was provided
with a broad exposure to the retail, business and corporate banking
sectors and discovered I was particularly attracted to private
banking, which, during the early 1990s was fast evolving due to
improving economic prosperity in the UK. The financial requirements
of a private banking client are wide-ranging, making the sector an
interesting and challenging area in which to work. The lure of
private banking is what ultimately drew me to Flemings in 2000
where I joined the private banking team. Our investment desk was
established in 2006 and augments the comprehensive wealth
management services available from the bank.
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Q: What do you enjoy most
about working at Fairbairn Private Bank?
A: The breadth and depth of talented people in the
business makes the bank a great place to work and the work / life
balance is very good. Our continued success in the Sunday Times Top
100 Best Small Companies to Work For serves to endorse this view.
It is a stimulating place to work and I believe we are all
empowered to develop our roles and careers in the direction we
would like them to go - I have definitely grown as an individual
here.
On top of this, the bank operates in a very dynamic sector
within the financial services industry, which creates a continually
challenging and exciting environment in which to work.
Q: What are your goals / aims in the
short-term?
A: The recent opening of our new London office has afforded us
access to a much broader marketplace. There is a need for us to
position our investment offering to offer attractive wealth
management solutions which are both tax efficient and cost
effective for the UK domiciled client. The opportunities
created by this move are very significant and my challenge is to
ensure the bank is able to capture these.
Q: Is there anything that your clients are particularly
interested in at the moment?
A: Whilst still cautious, clients appear to have a growing appetite
for investment risk again and the recent strong rally in stock
markets has been a catalyst for this. The key questions we are
asking ourselves as wealth managers centre on the sustainability of
economic recovery and how this will be reflected across capital
markets. Our mindset remains focused on capital preservation and we
are working closely with clients to help them manage their risk by
investing across a range of asset classes and styles.
Q: Your top tip?
A: A man at 50 has the face he deserves.
Education: BSc Hons in Microbiology 1988,
Securities & Investment Institute Diploma 2005.
Career: 1988 to 1991 - Graduate training
scheme at Lloyds Bank plc -- 1991 to 1997 - Lloyds Bank Offshore
Centre, Jersey -- 1998 to 2000 - SG Hambros Bank & Trust --
2000 to present - Joined Flemings, now Fairbairn Private
Bank.
Likes: Nice glass of red wine and spending time
with the family (although the former tends to follow a day with the
latter!).
Dislikes: Hooking or slicing a golf ball, which I
seem to do with disappointing
regularity!
Dream job: To be a sports journalist, reporting on
the great sporting events around the world.
If you weren't here now, what would you be doing?
Sat at the ground (or at home in front of the TV) watching an Ashes
test.